SAVE OUR TIGER

Are we doing enough?
Our tigers are in danger. They are falling prey to poaching and man-tiger conflict. Inviolate spaces for tigers are shrinking. Villagers living near core and buffer areas of tiger reserves poison them in revenge for killing their cattle. The government agencies have failed miserably in relocating the reluctant villagers; as in the last 40 years they have been able to relocate only 105 villages out of 1700 in protected tiger reserves. [...]

Now, Noida MMS Sex Scandal

A 23-year old MBA student of Noida is another victim of MMS sex scandal. She was filmed by her boyfriend when she was stripping off her clothes on music. Her boyfriend circulated the MMS because she refused to marry him. This is not the first case of that kind. It is happening in the country from the last few years. [...]

Pyaar Ka Punchnama

Love is about sacrifice. Is it? I have seen in the Bollywood movies of the late 60s and 70s actors profess that love is all about giving and not gaining. Their dialogues are only appropriate for reel life and not practical in real life[...]

If you are going [...]

Share your thoughts, in short

Micro-blogging is all about posting small digital contents—text, pictures, video and links—on the Internet. In short, it is a combination of blogging and instant messaging. Micro-blogging websites allow users to share a message of 140 or less character, a video of 12 seconds or less duration, short links or individual images with online followers[...]

Express your love, but is it that simple?

No. It’s not. The three-word expression I Love You is perhaps the most difficult one to express. People may be headstrong but go weak at the knees when it comes to proposing to someone special. For one and all, the expression of love requires perfect timing, ideal setting and right approach[...]

1.Common men
slog all their lives to raise their ambitious children, to build a house of
their own, and to accumulate some wealth to leave behind for their family. Many
a times, they fail and die without leaving anything behind except some loans
and hospitals bills to be paid off. Building a career from a poor background always
seems like a Sisyphean task for common man in India. Narendra Modi has broken
this myth. People know that he rose to the heights of Indian politics from a
lower middle class family so they believe; Modi would understand their plights
and would do something good to change their fate.

2.Modi is
considered pro-business. NaMo as PM means that industries will grow. People in
significant numbers believe in trickle-down theory. That means if the rich will
become richer that means more job opportunities and the wealth will trickle
down to the poor.

3.Gujarat
Model of governance was a well-scripted ad campaign or a success story; it is
to political pundits to decide. Whatever, it gave hope to the people of the
poor states that Gujarat model of governance can change their lives for good.
It is remarkable that BJP performed well in poor states like Bihar, UP,
Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh but Odisha.

4.The days
of decisive politics are over. Modi did not raise any controversial issue
during campaigning. His focus remained on development, economic revival, ending
corruption, and job creation. Though, he let his lieutenant talk about
Hindutava agenda of the BJP.

5. \Modi has
established himself as a tough commander. He may take right or wrong decisions
but he ensures people that the government would be decisive under Modi as it
was not seen in Manmohan Singh’s government.

These reasons are good enough to make people believe that good days are
ahead.

Price rise, series of
scams, corruption in ministries and bureaucracy during UPA tenure, and lack of
an appealing and visionary leader in the Congress party cost them this huge debacle
in the general elections 2014. But no reason can take away the credit of
Narendra Modi for this stupendous victory. He extensively campaign all over
India and sold golden dreams to Indian electorates. And, it was well taken.
Here are few other factors that helped BJP win—

1- Anti incumbency of 10 years worked against the
UPA government. The government came to power promising a lot but could not
deliver to the poor and the needy. Though, they were given chance twice by the
Indian electorate. The UPA government formulated many welfare schemes and introduced
right based acts but their benefits did not reach to the poor. The schemes were
not implemented effectively or were allocated fewer funds than required.

2- Congress party has not developed state leaders over
a period of time those could rise in need and woo voters. People were bored of
Gandhi family and wanted a charismatic leader who could turn their dream of a
better India into reality. Rahul Gandhi has always been reluctant to take any
responsibility in the government and people lost faith in him. Very few top
leaders in the congress party have direct people connect while BJP nurtured
many such as Shiv Raj Singh Chauhan, Raman Singh, Manohar Parikkar, Vasundhara Raje
and many others. While Congress lack big leaders in the state.

3- Polarization of votes in Uttar Pradesh helped
the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP). Samajwadi Party could not manage communal riots
in Western and Central UP. Hindu votes consolidated and helped BJP to do it’s
all time best in the most important political state of UP where the BJP won 71
seats that is bigger that the congress’s all India tally. The polarization of
votes in the state also disturbed the caste politics in UP resulting in the
party like BSP losing all seats. The party still claims that the election was
fought on development plank. On the contrary, the party did not initiate any
action against the leaders who spewed venom during campaigning. And, fielding
Modi from Varanasi was a tactical move by the party for connecting with people
in UP and adjoining Bihar. In both the states, the party performed really well
and won 93 seats.

4- BJP had a great charismatic leader in Narendra
Modi. He had a good track record of running a state government for last 12
years. The flamboyant Modi boasted of his achievements better that any one did.
People believed that Gujarat model of development can change the face of the
nation if replicated.

5- Use of technology in this election played a significant
role. Narendra Modi who is 64 communicated with the young generation using
social media on a regular basis. Neither Rahul nor Sonia use social media
platform.

6- Series of corruption cases in the UPA I and II antagonize
Indian voters. The anti-corruption movement and reluctance of the government to
introduce an effective Lokpal Bill was accepted as the government lack
political will to fight corruption.

7- It was an open secret that the PM office has a
little role to play in running the government and people disapproved the
Congress for bringing down the authority of the PM to such a low level. PM
always looked toward 10 Jan Path for decisions. And, the PM Man Mohan Singh
hardly communicated with the media.

8- Crumbling economy and shrinking job
opportunities impelled people to find an alternative and decisive government
that can bring jobs and weave a better future for a young India.

9- The disappearance of Rahul Gandhi during
crucial times was not accepted by the country. Whether there was an upsurge
against Delhi gang rape or calamity in Uttarakhand, Rahul was not available.

10- The last but not the lease. Congress helped BJP
in making the Brand Modi. The Congress party indulged in fear mongering, communalism,
the age-old talks of ‘secularism’ and pushed back the agenda of development. That
was not well taken.

“Don’t blame me, Manmohan. I gave you my blessings to become the Prime Minister not once but twice in spite of knowing that you had not won Loksabha election. You have taken all this for granted.”

“God, I have done everything you told me to do. I introduced new legislations for the poor. I even introduced a new law to curb corruption; not because Anna Hazare asked for it but because I had promised you in the past.”

“Don’t lie. That was because of Kejriwal’s win in Delhi and Anna’s indefinite fast for the legislation in Ralegaon Sidhi. Anyway, I had warned you that you had sinful people working for you.”

“When, God?”

“Just after your meeting with Sonia to decide on the names of the cabinet ministers. When I saw you selected people to head up the ministries. I was shocked. We’ve got a long file on them up here.”

“Why dint you tell me, God.”

“I tried to, but PMO officials and Pankaj Pachauri would not let me talk to you on the phone. They said they would give you the message I called.”

“They never told me, God.”

“It figures. Then I sent you an e-mail saying it was urgent you contact me. I even commented on you Facebook post in which you congratulated Sonia for showing confidence in you and choosing you the PM.”

“The only e-mails I read during that period were those in which people supported my liberalization policies of 1991 and said that I had ability to make India a super power.”

“Finally, Manmohan, I made one last effort. I showed up at a press meeting one day at 10 Janpath, and after the meeting I came up to you and said there are men among you who would be reason of your fall. Do you know what you did, Manmohan? You did not react and introduced me to Digvijay Singh.”

“I dint know it was you, God. So many people show up at these meetings. You could be a BJP man. Is that why you are punishing me—because I snubbed you?”

“I am not punishing you, Manmohan. But even I could do just so much. I agree, you are an honest man, Manmohan. If it were merely a case of Coalgate, I could probably fix it. But your government is involved in corruption, shielding tainted leaders and corporate houses, gagging media, harassing honest officers, etc. Your ministers even tried to control social media and cane charged protesters at India Gate. The list of sins is endless."

“Good, God. Nobody is perfect! Is NaMo perfect?”

“Don’t change the topic.”

“Alright. Look, I have just got a few months in which to go down as the greatest Prime Ministers of India. I don’t want to go down in the pages of the history as the worst PM of India. Give me a break.”

“You have got to clean the house, Manmohan. Get rid of everyone who had any connection with any scandal.

Don’t spare anyone. You must make it perfectly clear you were hoodwinked by everyone on your staff. You must show the indian people that when it comes to the reputation of an honest PM, no one is too big to be sacrificed on the altar of expediency.”

“God, you are asking for a really big sacrifice. Can Congress survive it?”

“I am trying to help you, not Congress.”

“God, one minute, let me check with Madam over WhatsApp to get an idea what are her views.”

“Okay.”

After five minutes.

“God, I’ll do it. Will you take AK Antony, Jairam Ramesh and Jaipal Reddy?”

“What kind of sacrifice is that?”

“Sharad Pawar!”

“Go ahead.”

“Salman Khursheed and P. Chidambaram.”

“That’s more like it.”

“And, God if I sacrifice them, will you keep me out of this and help Rahul Jee become the next PM.”

“Manmohan, I don’t work miracles.”

Note: This is an ‘original parody’ of an article written by Art Buchwald on Richard Nixon in 1971.

# This article also appeared on Fakingnews.com. (http://my.fakingnews.firstpost.com/2014/01/18/manmohan-talks-to-god/)

It’s not been even a week for
Arvind Kejriwal at the helm of the affairs in Delhi and people have begun
criticizing him and his policies. One person has even filed a PIL against him
in Delhi High Court for making false promises in his manifesto. The person mentioned
in his PIL that AK promised to pass Lok Pal Bill on December 29. It was quite funny
because the person perhaps forgot that AK sworn in as the CM on December 28
only as he did not have enough numbers to form the government without any
support either from the Congress of the BJP.

I am not a AAP supporter but I firmly believe that we must refrain from cynicism that prevents a
wind of good change.

I support the AK for
standing against the VIP culture by denying a lavish bungalow and security
cover, for providing subsidy on water and electricity on the first two days of
working at the office, for promising corruption-free governance and other pro-people
policies. However, it is in the news that he has opted for a combined duplex house
with total floor area of 9,000 square feet for his office and home. That’s not
exactly an AAM Aadmi’s house. I am refraining to comment on the issue unless
the reports are confirmed.

Media and others have
criticized him that AK took the support from the Congress while he had categorically
denied taking any support either from the Congress or the BJP during
campaigning. I support AK for not being stubborn on his decision and asking
people for their opinion whether AAP should form the government or not. A
senior journalist known for his ‘stupendous’ journalistic skills Arnab Goswami asked
him that he is out-sourcing the party’s decision. AK smartly replied to the
journalist that he is not outsourcing the party’s decision from Pakistan. He is
simply going to the people who elected him.

One must watch the speech of
AK in Delhi assembly where he did not ask for the support for his government or
the party. He has talk about fresh policies. He talked about corruption free
society. He talks about a system where everyone gets their works done in a
government office without paying any bribe. He has promised a lot and now it is time to
show what can he do for the poor and Aam Aadmi.

Let us keep sharpening our
words of criticism for a little later stage when AK fails on his promises or
falls from the standards he set for an ideal politician or say Aam Aadmi. Until
then I think we should stop cynical criticism or criticism just for the sake of
it.